Ross Off-Leash Dog Recreation Area

wonderful clean park Huge love it I am from San Diego and seeing this made a huge difference in being here. My dogs loved it and i can also get some exercise

Good dogs and good people make for a good dog park like the Ross Off-​leash Dog Recreation Area. As the flagship park of the five DogPaw’s dog parks run by this non-​profit organization in Vancouver Washington, it’s also known as the Hazel Dell «Ross» Dog Park.
The park is completely fenced with double-​gated entries and is really a combination of two parks with an upper level on a hill and a lower level with mud (and water station). The entire park covers 8 acres of fields and trees on a steep hill with plenty of exercise and play opportunities for any size or age of pup. There are a few benches for resting and a ¾ mile trail around the park. Smaller dogs under 25 lbs. have a small .3-​acre section next to the lower level, too.
Parking is free across 15^th Avenue in a large paved lot. Handicap parking is up the hill on 18^th Street. The park is open 7 days a week from 7:00 a.m. to Sunset. Dogs must be licensed, vaccinated, and wear an appropriate collar.
As with all dog parks, clean up after your dog and play nice with others cause a good dog park is only possible with good people and good dogs.

Tucked just off highway 99 under some giant power lines is a large play area for dogs. The Ross dog park is clean and landscaped beautifully with a variety of trees.
Whomever designed this is well versed in Dogs needs and considerate of owners. Easy access to waste removal bags.
Small shelters and seating out of the sun make for a lovely afternoon of fresh air and a grand view of my dog making friends and getting much needed exercise.
We truly appreciate this opportunity to meet with other dogs and their owners. We have been going here nearly two years. It’s a testament to our fair towns spirit. I’ve been to many dog parks in different states, this by far is the loveliest.

I’ve been taking my dog here for over 2 years now and have always had the best of times. As others have detailed, this place is huge, grassy, has bark-​covered trails, and now has a water source, which is MUCH appreciated in the summer. I’ve never had a problem with dog aggression here, the owners seem friendly and will all gather around to chat while the pups play. Having this park so close is AWESOME.

Love it! But don’t keep valuables in your car even if they are hidden and the car is locked. My window was smashed and hidden purse was stolen this past Saturday. Learned my lesson the hard way.

A lot of people from Oregon drive here because they say it’s one of the better dog parks in the area. I had no idea other dog parks weren’t as good as this one! So happy I live so close! :)

The park needs to make it more clear that children under age 6 should not be in the dog park with the big dogs. I recommend a sign with a minimum height requirement. There are so many unnecessary liability issues to the dog owners when small children are there.

So thankful to have such a wonderful dog park so close to home. Our little girl dog loves this park and always enjoys running around. There are hills so it’s also an amazing place to play catch and let the dog get good exercise. There is a water source as well to keep them hydrated on warmer days. Love Ross dog park!

They now have a water source. It’s down at the bottom of the park, just past the small dog section on the right hand side. Bless you, whoever left the big drinking bowl.
FYI, the gates at the top of the park appear to be permanently closed. The only (I think) entrance is down by the small dog area. This is a good thing if you have a small, skittish dog. You don’t have to run the gauntlet of deliriously happy big dogs chasing balls both real and imagined (looking at YOU, Fred).

Baxter and I have a great time at the dog park! I’m just hoping that there will be more wood chips put down in the dirt areas when the rains hit.

A neighbor took us to this park, shortly after we moved to Vancouver. What a nice welcome for my dog & me! We’ve visited many times since, & Keeta just loves it, not because of the other dogs so much, but because there are «dog» people there, who are all happy to pet her when she thunders up to them. Since a water station & more waste bag dispensers were added recently, it’s about perfect.
If you have small kids, stay close to them in the big dog area. Speeding dogs could easily run over them. And to the people who brought KFC in (yes, this happened), my dog thanks you for the chicken she grabbed. This is not a good place for a picnic, folks.

What a great find this dog park was! We were on our way on a road trip from Grants Pass Oregon to Seattle Washington. Our dog needed a romp and a break, and so did we. This park is convenient off the freeway, remarkably clean, has great shade, and lots of room to run. It totally rocks!

Great dog park, gets a bit crowded sometimes but sill awesome. They just installed a water fountain for the pets so it’s much improved since I first started going.

My dog loves this park! Nice, big, green and clean! A lot of acres for my dog to run around and explore. We’re from out of State so finding this park was such an awesome find! I definitely recommend you folks to bring your dogs here to play.

I honestly don’t have a clue as to why anyone would write anything negative about this dog park? We are so thankful it exists and our dog Buddy gives it two paws up. I love how people complain about something they get to use FOR FREE.
Did your dog complain? I have been to this park 20 to 30 times and my dog only has to hear the word park and he is in heaven. You also can’t blame the park for car prowlers (Hazel Dell Drug Addicts) unless you want to pay for security guards.
Folks, ask your dogs if they enjoyed the day out with you at this park instead of belly aching over some nonsense as if you have no sense of gratitude. Build a better park and we can all write suck ass reviews for how a dog took a dump in a dog park or dog dug a hole in a dog park or a dog barked or jumped on your leg at a dog park.
I pay an annual membership to help the people keep the place clean. What the hell do you complaining ass wipes do for the place? Please do me a favor and stop coming in, just drop off your dog so he can have a break from your unhappy existence.
Since I am on a roll here. Whoever decided on forcing ten handicapped parking spaces is a damn fool. Two or three is fine. This isn’t Walmart!
Every time we go there now, we find an empty lot or maybe one or two handicapped (what a joke) cars and ten on the street which I would imagine was the complaint by the neighbors who don’t like the park again because they are unhappy losers and they should move away to a less horrible life near a wide open park with happy dogs running around.
When I see a handicapped drivers jump out with three dogs and go trotting all over a nine acre park, I ask: why they hell do they need to park five feet from the entrance? If you can’t walk five feet to park, how do you walk 5,000 feet around the park? Logic anyone?
BARK BARK — the park rocks, the complainers have no legs to stand on.

My husband and I often take our dogs here to play. Lots of gated areas for our pups to meet and socialize with other pups (most of the ones that come here are friendly and have owners who keep an eye on their dogs). I also like that the little dog area is on the bigger side which is not always the case with all dogs parks (little dogs need room to run wild too!). They recently installed a water spicket and now provide doggy bags!

Love the park! Today was Sammi (mydog) and I’s first time ever going it was really a great experience! She has. A bit of a social issue sometimes and can be pretty vocal, all of the people and pets were very friendly and understandable. The large area made her feel really comfortable and it was large enough to avoid large groups of dogs. The hills really tired her out which is exactly what we are aiming for, this place is doggy heaven, and everyone seems to clean up after their dogs very well. My only thing I didn’t like was that unlike most dog parks there was no available while she was so thirsty she was drinking out of mud puddles… Next time I know to bring my own water but other then that every thing gets a 5 star.

We took our dog today and he had such a fun time! We couldn’t believe how big it is! There are three areas: a huge field in the middle with hills and trees, another back area over the top of the hill and a small dog fenced area. There’s a walking trail, 3 waste disposal areas, and benches around the park. The owners were friendly, attentive on how their dogs were playing and everyone had a good time.
The place was well-​maintained! However, there was a small area where someone didn’t pick-​up after their dog. Also, there is no water area; bring your own water. Overall, this is a great dog park and we will definitely bring our dog back!

What a fantastic dog park. The small dog area is tiny compared to the regular section, but it is still very large and a great place for me to throw the ball for my little one. Then, you can easily access the regular area and go for a walk around the park. The place is HUGE! This will definitely be our go-​to park whenever we go out with our pup.
Remember to bring water!

NOTE that this review is in regards to the small dog side of the park. The all dog section might be better than the small.
This dog park is not one I would go to unless I had to.
It could use an overhaul on gates, fencing in the little dog section. People seem to love the big dog section, but I was not over there so I can’t speak to it. The people were nice, and on their game which is always pleasant.
Today was our first visit to the Ross Dog Park for about 3 hours.
It is HUGE (9 acres?), and has a separate small dog section which is not always the case.
The little dog park side is very rough around the edges. It is almost like the small dog section has been forgotten about. Examples of «rough around edges»: two layers of 4 ft fences with weeds in between so you can’t see where the holes are but they ARE there. Weird that these 4 ft fences have 5 ft gates, poles cut off and cement put in the top for unknown reasons, all the signs are sitting on the ground propped up with some signs being hand made with white tape in the shape of letters?, other signs made by sign company.
Less muddy than my regular dog park with plenty of grass. In other words, I am used to putting on dog park boots and jacket, I am not one of those people that only goes to a dog park if its «all pretty». Dogs do not care if a dog park is «pretty».
Maybe if you have a big dog you may have no concerns about holes in the fence, in which case rock on! But, if you have a little dog or puppy and of which is curious, looking for holes in the fence, and/​or who roams all over? Read on.
(I have a puppy who started out at dog park at 3 lbs. I help run a dog meetup group that always has at least one small dog or puppy. I do not have the luxury of «Ah, my dog just sits at my feet» or «My dog is tenacious enough to handle most all dogs». I am looking out for «the lowest common denominator»: small puppies or dogs.)
I did not see a water source on this side of the dog park.
Doggie bags NOT provided, bring your own!
There is a brand new, nice bench in the little dog side.
I was told there is a whole other side to this dog park up over the hill.
This is on Bonneville Power property with HUGE power poles overhead. («powerline park» type stuff this area is known for) If you have not found parking under *huge* power poles you have not found this end of the park, at least. (I hear there is another side of this park.)
Check for holes under the fence! The fence is made of two kinds of fencing, both are kinds that comes on a roll, with one fence layered on top of the other. Weeds have grown in between the two kinds of fence making it hard to see where there are holes in the fence. It is hard to see even if the hole is in the dirt UNDER the fence. Do a perimeter check as it is on a fairly busy road and you would not want your dog getting hit by a car (like at Normandale Dog Park where a dog did get hit). If I was not meeting a group I would have done some work filling in holes, ect, which is my normal thing to do.
The side gate (*meant for tractors ONLY*) is NOT locked with a chain, but it should be. (Another gate has such so clearly they thought of it.) If people want to come in from the «all dog side» to the «little dog side» they should walk around to the real gate for the safety of all dogs being let out.
Today a small boy from the «all dog side», not being watched by a parent, opened the gate from the all dog to the little dog side. Then he just stood there with the gate open. One puppy almost got out. This is a regular event with gates like this if unlocked. The design has to have gates like this, its just that it needs to be locked. One time my puppies half-​brother was let out and then chased by a pit bull for 20 minutes at another dog park. The next day the same thing happened+. Until you have a small dog you may not get it. My last dog was hurt having fun with a big dog and he was never the same after that (pinched his backbone, bad news).
Yes the child should have been watched better, but people simply should not be put in a position where dogs can get out.
It’s the kind of rough around the edges that makes you wonder what hole a dog can get out of. My other mainstay park might be rough around the edges… but there are NO holes.